CAIRNS

In the accompanying audio recording, Ken Neil describes evidence from the Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age Period (7500BC to 4000BC approximately ) when the land was first settled and the Neolithic or New Stone Age Period (4000BC to 2500BC).

Dating from the New Stone Age (the Neolithic period or roughly BC to BC). these structures were often used as tombs or burial areas. The stones forming the structure were usually decorated with spiral symbols and curves indicating the name or situation of the person buried there.

Cairns may be one of three possible designs:
1. Round Cairned Passage Graves
The central feature of such designs is a round room made of stone in which the personage would be buried. The circular room was approached via a straight passage of stone.
2. Long Cairned Gallery Graves
There is no central room for the burial chamber but rather there is a long gallery of flanking stones.
3. Horned Cairns
These are much like gallery Cairns except that the long chamber is divided into numerous smaller sections.

Many of these Cairns have lost their shape as a result of excavations to uncover treasure thought to be buried with illustrious personages. Such excavations have found no treasure but on several occasions farming implements and weapons have been discovered indicating some belief in a life after death.

In the accompanying audio recording, Ken Neil describes evidence from the Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age Period (7500BC to 4000BC approximately ) when the land was first settled and the Neolithic or New Stone Age Period (4000BC to 2500BC).